A former Algerian prisoner relates his ordeal in Libyan jails

Abdelwahab Biskri is among a group of former Algerian prisoners who were released last week by the Libyan authorities after 6 years of detention in Libya during which he was subjected, according to him, to horrendous torture inflicted on him by his Libyan wardens. 

• “Echorouk” met with him in his home in the city of Biskra, in South-eastern Algeria, to know more about his appalling conditions of detention in Libya.
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• Q: How did you happen to enter into Libyan territory?
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• R: As a matter of fact, my commercial activities in Libya go back to the 90’s.
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• In the beginning, I went to Libya with a group of Algerian youngsters to bring spare parts and clothes to sell them in Biskra.
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• After 3 years of activity, I found that this trading brought me no financial spin-offs. So, I decided with some of my relatives to shift to the gold business.
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• We brought some quantities of gold in a clandestine way from Libya to sell them in Algeria.
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• Q: What this “shady business” easy for you?
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• R: No, it was not at all easy but I relied on several Libyan smugglers to whom I had to give 50 thousand dinars each for every gold bullion brought to the other side of the border.
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• This smuggling business lasted until February 17th 2005. It was on that day that I was rounded up with 2.350 kg of gold while on my way to the town of Ghadès by several armed men.
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• They immediately took me to a detention centre in the area of Ghadès.
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• To my great surprise, I was accused of drug trafficking, a charge utterly groundless.
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• Q: What happened afterwards?
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• R: It’ was at that moment that my horrible ordeal stated.
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• The Libyans compelled me under duress to sign a document against my will confirming the mendacious charges leveled against me.
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• The Libyans took from me forcefully 500 Euros and a large sum in Libyan currency as well as a quantity of gold in addition to my passport and other personal documents.
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• Before being presented before justice, I was subjected to heinous forms of torture during all that period.
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• Q: Tell us now about your trial in Libya?
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• R: I was brought before a Libyan tribunal in February 2006.
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• I had to pay a Libyan lawyer a sum of 500 thousand dinars in the hope of seeing the death sentence which was weighing on me, being dropped.
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• And on January 11th 2007, I was transferred to Al Djadida prison in the city of Tripoli where I was constantly ill- treated by Libyan prison wardens.
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• On the spot, I met with about 20 Algerian prisoners who were also sentenced to capital punishment by a Libyan court.
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• After a series of protests and hunger strikes which we staged together, we were visited by Libyan state representatives as well as by the Algerian General Consul posted in Libya and Algerian human rights activists.
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• I should also point out that several Algerian prisoners died unfortunately in this Libyan prison on account of the appalling conditions of detention there.
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